Building a successful tech company used to mean chasing funding rounds and burning through cash. Not anymore. The game has changed, and smart founders know it. These days, the path to growth starts with something more fundamental: getting your market strategy right from day one. After three decades helping tech giants and early-stage companies crack this code, Colleen Pimentel is flipping the script on how companies think about growth. Her time at Google and Oracle taught her what works – and what trips companies up when they’re chasing those early revenue goals.
Focusing on the Foundation
Money talks, but so do mistakes. Through decades of watching companies stumble, Colleen kept seeing the same problems crop up. “The absolute worst thing is to be marketing to the wrong persona or marketing to the right persona but with the wrong message,” she points out. It’s the kind of mistake that costs companies more than just money – it costs them time they can’t get back. These days, Colleen runs McKenna Pimentel Consulting with a clear mission. She helps companies build what she calls their “unique, go-to market springboard,” a foundation that leads to early, consistent cash flow. But getting there means facing some hard truths about how companies grow.
Avoiding Common Marketing Mistakes
Time in the trenches taught Colleen what works. She breaks it down into three key lessons that every B2B SaaS company needs to hear. First up: know your customer. Really know them. “If you’ve done it, you need to go and do it again because markets change,” she says. It’s not enough to figure it out once and forget it. Then there’s the science behind the sales. “Sales is actually an art, but your go-to Market Foundation is purely science,” Colleen explains. She’s seen how the right foundation, properly layered, becomes “a giant springboard to rapid growth.” It’s not about quick fixes – it’s about building something that lasts.
Prioritizing Cash Flow Over Funding
Here’s where Colleen hits hard: too many founders have their priorities backwards. “Too many founders spend all their time chasing funding instead of building a sustainable revenue engine,” she observes. The solution? “We want to flip the script on that and help you to create organic growth and re-occurring cash flow.” The math makes sense. A company with steady cash flow doesn’t need as much outside money. Better yet, when they do need funding, they’re worth more. As Colleen puts it, your company “is going to be valued that much higher because of your re-occurring revenue stream.”
Markets shift. Customer needs change. But solid fundamentals never go out of style. That’s why Colleen pushes companies to keep validating their customer profiles and messages. Yesterday’s perfect pitch might miss the mark today. Success isn’t about having the flashiest app or the biggest funding round. It’s about building what Colleen calls “a well-oiled, go-to market engine.” When companies get this right, everything else falls into place.
Looking ahead to 2025, Colleen sees opportunities for companies willing to do the work. Her goal? “An exponential growth projectory in 2025.” But getting there means focusing on revenue first, funding second. It’s a lesson some companies learn the hard way – if they learn it at all.
Making Growth Sustainable
The view from Colleen’s corner of the tech world is clear: sustainable growth beats quick cash every time. Her approach might not be the fastest path to funding, but it builds companies that last. Through McKenna Pimentel Consulting, she’s showing early-stage companies how to turn solid fundamentals into steady growth.
After three decades in tech, Colleen knows what makes companies succeed. It’s not about chasing the next big thing or burning through funding rounds. It’s about building a foundation strong enough to support real growth. As markets shift and tech evolves, that lesson matters more than ever.
To learn more about Colleen Pimentel and her approach, check out her LinkedIn profile.
